In other words, studies show that you will likely feel better, but it’s harder to find research to confirm that you’ll perform better.though the two may go hand in hand for some riders. It’s worth noting that though the physiological research is largely promising, research on performance metrics is lacking. Their peers who recovered without the compression therapy did not experience any such pain relief. Daily treatments using a pneumatic compression device also reduced recovery time from delayed onset muscle soreness when compared to a continuously-worn compression sleeve, according to research published in 2018 in the International Journal of Exercise Science, which involved eight participants.Īnother study on 24 highly trained Olympic athletes (half women, half men) reported that those who received a 15-minute session of pneumatic compression therapy after their morning training session, enjoyed a reduction in their pain pressure threshold (a scientific way of saying their muscles were less sensitive when you pressed on them) immediately after the session and for the remainder of the day after the afternoon practice. The more nutrients your muscles are getting, the faster they can repair and rebuild.Ī clinical trial published in 2016 in the Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy, involving 72 ultramarathon runners, found that post-exercise pneumatic compression therapy offered the same benefits as post-exercise massage. “When that metabolic waste from a workout is sitting there in your cells taking up space, that’s space that your blood could be bringing new nutrients to in the muscle,” says Leninger. That swelling will go away naturally if you’re recovering appropriately (think: staying off your feet, elevating your legs, resting), but compression can help shorten the amount of rest you may need by preventing swelling from pooling in a certain area when you have to go straight from your bike to the office, for example. “You may not even notice it, but edema, or swelling, occurs when your body starts to repair those microtears,” says Leninger. No matter what kind of cycling you do, whether it’s a tough HIIT session on your trainer or a long ride on your favorite trail, your muscles experience microtears from repetitive stress. (Keep in mind, this study only involved 12 healthy participants.)Ĭompression boots can also reduce swelling. This can potentially contribute to changes in exercise performance and recovery, according to the authors. According to a study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology in 2018, intermittent compression applied during recovery from exercise resulted in increased limb blood flow. Luckily, there are some scientifically-proven benefits when it comes to this method of exercise recovery.įor starters, the boots enhance blood flow and circulation. “If the only benefit you get is sitting down and relaxing for 20 minutes while you use them, that’s still worth it,” says Leninger. If you’ve ever worn a pair of these puffy sleeves, you know it just feels good-kind of like a massage. Must-Do Stretches to Keep You Riding Strong.“The sheer amount of compression you’ll receive from a mechanical device will work exponentially faster than socks,” says Eric Madia, assistant performance director at Athletes Warehouse in Pleasantville, New York. It’s somewhat similar to the difference between an active stretch and a passive stretch. Many compression boots allow you to control the amount of pressure and all of them offer more active compression than socks. Typically, compression socks are tighter at the bottom and get progressively looser to improve blood flow from the feet upwards, reducing swelling and discomfort in the legs. Compression boots actually go all the way up to the top of your thighs, so your entire leg reaps the benefits.Ĭompression socks, on the other hand, squeeze the legs without movement or increases or decreases in pressure. As mentioned, compression boosts use intermittent pneumatic compression, meaning they mechanically inflate and deflate segments of a sleeve at different times. There are two types of compression athletes use: compression and intermittent pneumatic compression. How are compression boots different than compression socks?
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